Double module circuit breaker panel assembly



DOUBLE MODULE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL ASSEMBLY R. T. CASEY Oct. 24, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.

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DOUBLE MODULE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 22, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fl I 9 INVENiOR ZMi 5 7 United States Patent Ofitice 3,349,290 DOUBLE MQDULE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL ASSEMBLY Robert T. Casey, Soutliington, Conn, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 604,637 7 Claims. (Cl. 317-119) My invention relates to electrical control panel assemblies commonly referred to as panelboards and load centers and more particularly to such assemblies and load centers which are adapted to receive one, two, or three-pole plug-in type control devices such as circuit breakers, of two different types, one type having a basic (i.e., single-pole) width double that of the other.

It is desirable that circuit breaker panel assemblies of the type described be able to receive circuit breaker modules of different ampere ratings in one, two, or threepole forms without leaving unused space and without requiring special modification of either the panel or the circuit breaker. Prior art panel assemblies of the threephase type, however, have not been capable of accommodating three-pole circuit breakers of single (1X) module and also of double (2X) module selectively or in intermixed fashion without wasted space and without requiring addition of parts or other modification.

It is also desirable that means he provided for limiting the number of circuits which can be fed from a given panel assembly so as to assure that the total current drawn will not exceed the capacity of the main bus bars used therein.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a panel assembly for use with three-phase power whose contact arrangement allows the interchangeable and cornpatible use of sets of circuit breakers of two different modular widths without wasted space and in any desired single or multi-pole combination.

A further object of the invention is to provide a panel assembly for use with three-phase power whose contact arrangement allows efiicient, interchangeable reception of sets of circuit breakers of different modular widths and which has a contact arrangement which can be easily modified to reduce the number of circuit breakers which can be received by the panel.

In accordance with the invention in one form, a panel assembly is provided having a plurality of circuit breaker contacts which are equally spaced at a predetermined spacing such IX, and are respectively connected to the three lines of three-phase A-C power supply in sequential relation, such as A-BCA-B-C, etc. The combination further includes circuit breakers of two different types such as 1X and 2X. The 1X breakers have a width substantially equal to the spacing between the aforesaid panel contacts, and include single 2-pole and 3-pole forms. The 2X breakers have a width substantially double the spacing between the aforesaid panel contacts. The 1X breakers, which may, for example comprise breakers of one-half-inch width, are provided with contact means arranged to make contact with correspondingly positioned contacts of the panel. Multi-pole breakers of the 1X or /2" width per pole type include contact means arranged to make contact with a corresponding number of adjacent panel contacts.

The 2X breakers, which may, for example, comprise breakers of one-inch width, are provided with contact means arranged to make contact with correspondingly portioned contacts of the panel. In addition, each of the 2X or 1" width per pole breakers constructed to provide clearance for the contact adjacent to the particular contact with which it makes connection. Multi-pole breakers of the 2X type include contact means arranged to make lifi idi d Patented Get. 24, 1967 contact with alternate stationary contacts of the panel and with clearance means for the adjacent uncontacted contacts. Thus, the contacts picked up by a 1X 3-pole circuit breaker might be ABC while those contacted by a 2X 3-pole circuit breaker might be ACB.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, intervening contacts may be eliminated from at least a portion of the panel to thereby restrict the total number of circuit breakers of both types that can be received by the panel assembly.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a panel assembly embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing a bus bar arrangement with attached contact blades such as may be used in the panel assembly of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary top view in semi-schematic form of a circuit breaker panel assembly in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a schematic diagram of the panel assembly of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the contact portion of a first type (1X) circuit breaker;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 of the contact portion of :a second type (2X) circuit breaker;

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of a panel assembly of the type shown in FIGURE 3, showing some intermediate contacts removed to limit the number of circuit breakers which can be mounted thereon;

FIGURE 8 is a top view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the contact portion of a first type circuit breaker suitable for use with the panel assembly of FIGURE 8, and

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the contact portion of a second type of circuit breaker suitable for use with the panel assembly of FIGURE 8.

' As shown in FIGURES l and 2, the panel assembly of the invention includes bus bars A, B, C which are arranged substantially in a common plane and are each supported at one end on an insulating block 2. The block 2 is provided with a groove into which the ends of the bus bars extend. The block 2 is secured in a supporting tray 4 by one or more screws or bolts 6. The offset electric terminal ends A, B, C of the bus bars are supported on a transverse insulating block 8 which is secured in the tray 4. The tray 4 has side walls 10 provided with hooks 12 on each side edge which serve as supports for the outer ends of the circuit breakers 14.

The structure of the fixed portion of the panel assembly, comprising the box 16, tray 4, bus bars A, B, and C and their insulating and supporting means is similar to that shown in Patent No. 2,738,446, W. J. Fleming, issued Mar. 13, 1956, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.

The center bus bar B is provided with contact blades 20 whose feet are riveted or welded to the bus bar B whereby the blades are supported by the bus bar. A second bus bar A is provided with a number of contact blades 22 which are provided with rigid, electrically conducting, transverse supporting extensions 23 which are riveted or welded to the bus bar A and extend over bus bar B so that the base of each blade 22 is spaced away from the center of that bus bar. Similarly, the third bus bar C is provided with projecting contact blades 24 mounted on transverse supporting extensions 25. The base of each of these blades 24 is spaced away from the center bus bar B. All of the bus bars A, B, C are coated with an insulating material 26 which extends a slight distance up the contacts. Of course, any other suitable type of insulation arrangement may be used.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the contacts 20, 22, 24 of the panel board are equally spaced apart a distance just slightly less than the width of a circuit control device 14 (such as a circuit breaker) of a single modular width (1X) which can be received by the panel board. In a preferred embodiment, for example, this spacing is one-half inch. The contacts 20, 22, 24 are arranged in sets of three in an ordered sequence arrangement so that in each set of three contacts (such as 20a, 22a, 24a), the contacts are respectively connected to buses A, B, C coming from a three-phase alternating current source. Each set of three contacts is respectively connected to the three buses A, B, C of the A-C source in the same ordered sequence. In FIGURE 3, the first set of three contacts 20a, 22a, 24a are engaged by a 3-pole circuit breaker 14 comprising three single-pole breaker units having their operating handles ganged together by a tie-bar 28, and having internally interconnecting common tripping means, not shown. Each of the single pole breaker units has a width of IX, that is, substantially the same as the spacing of the contact blades '20, 22, 24. In the preferred form referred to, this would be slightly less than one-half inch.

In accordance with the invention a second three-pole circuit breaker 39 is provided, comprising three singlepole units having their operating handles ganged together by a tie-bar 32 and having internally interconnecting common tripping means, not shown. Each of the single-pole units has a width of 2X, that is, substantially double the spacing between the contact blades 20, 22, 24, or approximately one inch in the preferred form.

In addition, although each of the units of the breaker 30 spans two stationary contacts 20b and 22b, for instance, it is electrically connected to only one of the contacts, as is described below in connection with FIGURE 4. Therefore, each of the single pole 2X circuit breakers 30 is electrically connected to a separate, different, bus bar. Of course, arrangements of 2-pole and single pole circuit breakers may obviously be used as desired.

Between each of the adjacent blades 20, 22, 24, an insulating barrier 20k is preferably provided. Each of the contact devices 14, 30, etc., have the casings of each pole unit recessed as at 14a, 30a, to clear the barriers 20k.

FIGURE 4 is an electrical diagrammatic representation of the arrangement shown in FIGURE 3 from which it can be readily seen that each of the 1X /z-inch) circuit breakers is connected to a different bus A, B, or C coming from the alternating-current source and similarly each of the 2X (1-inch) circuit breakers is connected to a different bus A, C, B coming from the same source.

FIGURES 5 and 6 are fragmentary views showing the engagement between the circuit breakers and contacts illustrated in FIGURE 3 and discussed above. Particularly, FIGURE 5 shows a circuit breaker 14 of IX modular width having a contact blade engaging portion. A resilient conductive clip 34 is held within a longitudinally extending slot 36 in the circuit breaker 14. The slot width is slightly larger than the width (W) of the contact and extends longitudinally into the circuit breaker 14 a distance approximately equal to one-half the length (L) of the contact. When the circuit breaker 14 is plugged onto the contact, approximately one-half of the contact is within the circuit breaker slot 36 and the spring clip 34 engages the contact so as to make electrical connection therewith. A similar circuit breaker can then be plugged onto the other half of the contact in a similar manner.

In FIGURE 6 the contact engagement of a 2X circuit breaker module 30 is shown. Two parallel, longitudinally extending slots 38, 40 are positioned within the circuit breaker body. The slots 38, 40 are spaced apart the same distance as the contacts (i.e., just slightly larger than a single modular width). The dimensions of each slot 38,

40 are similar to those of the slot 36 in the 1X circuit breaker, so that the 2X circuit breaker may be inserted onto the contacts to cover substantially one-half of each contact. A resilient conductive clip 42 is provided Within the slot 40, so that it may engage the contact to provide electrical connection therewith. With this arrangement one slot 38 is used to provide clearance, and the other slot 40 is used to house an electrical connection. This arrangement allows a multi-pole 2X circuit breaker 30 to be physically engaged with two or three contacts of different polarity.

A basic panel assembly arrangement having originally capacity to receive a stated number of circuit control devices, may, in accordance with the invention, be modified, if desired, so as to reduce the total number of devices that can be connected thereto.

Thus, as shown in FIGURE 7, the contact arrangement may be modified by eliminating alternate contact member such as 20d and 22d so that the spacing between at least one set of three contacts 20d, 22d, 24d is substantially that of a double modular width (2X). By such modification the total number of circuits to be attached to the panel board is reduced since although a 3-pole 2X breaker can be engaged by each side of the widely spaced set of contacts 20D, 22D, 24D, it is no longer possible to mount two 3'-pole 1X breakers at each such side as previously described. Of course, although a 3-pole 1X breaker cannot be used in the widely spaced set of contacts, three of either the 1X or 2X circuit breakers can be engaged by each side of the remaining sets of contacts 20a, 22a, 24a, 2011, 2212,.

2411. It is apparent that as many sets of contacts as needed can be mounted on a panel board and any appropriate number of alternate contacts can be omitted so as to reduce the number of sets of. IX circuit breakers (and hence the total number of circuits) that can be received by the panel board. Thus, the number of circuit limitations which may be necessitated by the rating of the bus bars can be easily achieved with a minimum of modification to the panel board.

Any desired contact structure, including those other than the rectangular blade structure shown in FIGURES l, 2, 3 and 5, can be used in practicing my invention. An example of this is the U-shaped contact structure shown in FIGURES 8, 9, and 10 and described below as a second embodiment.

In FIGURE 8, the contacts 5%), 52, 54 have a substantially U-shaped cross-section and are positioned in a substantially parallel aligned relationship with one another. The length (L') of each legportion 56, 58 of the U-shaped contact 50, 52, 54 is arranged to extend parallel to the width of the circuit breakers 60, 62 to be engaged by the contacts. As in the first embodiment, shown in FIGURE 1, the contacts 50, 52, 54 are equally spaced apart in groups of three. Each of the contacts 50, 52, 54 in each set of three is respectively connected to the buses A, B, C from a three-phase electrical source. The engaging relationship between the circuit breakers 60*, 62 and the contacts 50, 52, 54 are shown in greater detail in FIGURES 9 and 10 and will be more fully described in succeeding paragraphs. The first set of contacts 50a, 52a, 54a is engaged by a set of three circuit breakers 61 of a single modular width (1X) which are ganged together by a bar 64 and with internal common-tripping means so as to comprise a three-pole circuit breaker. A set of three circuit breakers 62 of double modular width (2X) ganged together by a bar 66 to provide a 3-pole circuit breaker engages a second two sets of contacts 50!), 52b, 54b, 50c, 52c, 54c, so as to respectively connect the three circuit breakers 62 to bus bars A, C, B respectively. The electrical diagram shown in FIGURE 2 is applicable to the second embodiment as shown in FIGURE 6, as well as the first embodiment.

In FIGURE 9 the contact engaging relationship of 1X circuit breaker 60 having a second type of contact engaging portion is shown. A lengthwise extending slot 68 is located in the circuit breaker 60 at a distance approximately equal to one-half the distance between the legs 56, 58 of the contact. The width of this slot is just slightly larger than the width (W) of one of the contact legs. A contact clip 70 is held within the slot so that when the circuit breaker is plugged onto the contact leg 56, the clip 70 engages the leg 56 to provide electrical contact thereto.

In FIGURE 10 the contact engaging relationship of a 2X circuit breaker having a second type of contact engaging portion is shown. A widthwise extending slot 72 of substantially the same width as slot 68 of a 1X module is located in the circuit breaker 62 at a distance from the edge approximately equal to one-half the distance between the legs of a contact, so that a pair of oppositely facing circuit breakers may each engage a leg of a contact. A spring-type clip 74, positioned within the slot 72, extends through the slot no more than onehalf the width of the 2X circuit breaker, thereby allowing the circuit breaker 62 to physically engage an arm of two adjacent contacts while making electrical contact with only one of them.

A panel board using the second type of contact 59, 52, 54 can also be modified to restrict the number of circuits that can be connected to the panel board. This can be accomplished by omitting intermediate contacts so as to provide a contact layout structure similar to that shown in FIGURE 7 with the exception that the second type of contact 50, 52, 54 is used in place of the first type of contact 20, 22, 24.

Insulating barriers 50K similar to barriers K of FIG- URE 3, are provided between the adjacent contacts 50, 52, 54, and the circuit breaker casings are recessed as at 60a, 62a to accommodate them.

While the invention has been disclosed in only two embodiments, it will be appreciated that many modifications thereof may readily be made. It is therefore intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An electrical control device panel assembly comprising:

(a) a support;

(b) three bus bars supported in substantially parallel relation on said support;

(0) a plurality of stationary contacts supported on said support in a row extending generally parallel to said bus bars, each succeeding one of said conracts being connected to a different one of said bus bars in a predetermined repetitive sequence;

(d) said stationary contacts being equally spaced a predetermined distance apart;

(e) a plurality of first electrical control devices supported on said support, each of said first devices comprising an integral number of single pole units each having a width substantially equal to said predetermined distance and each of said single pole units including an electric contact in plug-in electrical engagement with one of said stationary contacts, and

(f) a plurality of second electrical control devices supported on said support, each of said second devices comprising an integral number of single pole uni-ts each having a width substantially double said predetermined distance and each of said single pole units including an electric contact in plug-in electrical engagement with one of said stationary contacts and each of said single-pole units also including clearance means providing clearance for another of said electrical contacts;

(g) whereby said panel assembly may comprise selectively any desired combination of single-pole, twopole, and three-pole electrical control devices of the first and second type.

2. An electrical control device panel assembly as set forth in claim 1, said plurality of first electrical control devices comprising at least one multi-pole device having a common handle for operating all of said single-pole units thereof simultaneously and wherein said plurality of second electrical control devices comprises at least one multipole device having a common handle for operating all of said single-pole units thereof simultaneously.

3. An electrical control device panel assembly as set forth in claim 1, said row of stationary contacts being supported substantially directly above the intermediate one of said bus bars, said control devices being supported in two rows at opposite sides of said row of contacts and each of said single pole units contacting substantially one-half of one of said contacts.

4. An electrical control device panel assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein said stationary contacts each comprise a rigid upstanding blade having its major flat surfaces extending transversely of said bus bars and each of said control devices includes at least one electric socket receiving a portion of one of said blade contacts when said device is in mounted position on said support.

5. An electric control device panel assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said second electrical control devices include at least one multi-pole control device having a common handle for operating all of said pole units thereof simultaneously and having at each pole unit thereof a socket receiving at least a portion of one of said contact blades in electrical engagement and a slotlike clearance recess receiving at least a portion of a second one of said contact blades adjacent said one contact blade.

6. An electrical control device panel assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said stationary contacts comprises a generally U-shaped strap-like member having the side portions of said U extending at right angles to said common plane and substantially parallel to said bus bars.

7. For use in an electric control device panel assembly having a row of stationary contacts, a multi-pole electric circuit breaker comprising:

(a) a generally rectangular insulating casing having a plurality of single-pole unit sections;

(b) an electrical socket member supported in said insulating casing in each of said sections, said socket members being in substantial alignment in a row for connectibn with corresponding first contacts of said row of stationary contacts carried by said panel assembly;

(0) said casing also having a recess in each of said sections providing a plurality of recesses therein to aiford clearance for a plurality of second stationary contacts carried by said panel assembly intermediate said first contacts respectively,

(d) whereby single-pole sections of said multi-pole circuit breaker make contact with alternate contacts of said row of contacts of said panel assembly and receives intervening contacts in non-contacting relation.

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner. M. GINSBURG, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ELECTRICAL CONTROL DEVICE PANEL ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: (A) A SUPPORT; (B) THREE BUS BARS SUPPORTED IN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATION ON SAID SUPPORT; (C) A PLURALITY OF STATIONARY CONTACTS SUPPORTED ON SAID SUPPORT IN A ROW EXTENDING GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID BUS BARS, EACH SUCCEEDING ONE OF SAID CONTACTS BEING CONNECTED TO A DIFFERENT ONE OF SAID BUS BARS IN A PREDETERMINED REPETITIVE SEQUENCE; (D) SAID STATIONARY CONTACTS BEIG EQUALLY SPACED A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE APART; (E) A PLURALITY OF FIRST ELECTRICAL CONTROL DEVICES SUPPORTED ON SAID SUPPORT, EACH OF SAID FIRST DEVICES COMPRISING AN INTEGRAL NUMBER OF SINGLE POLE UNITS EACH HAVING A WIDTH SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO SAID PREDETERMINED DISTANCE AND EACH OF SAID SINGLE POLE UNITS INCLUDING AN ELECTRIC CONTACT IN PLUG-IN ELECTRICAL ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE OF SAID STATIONARY CONTACTS, AND (F) A PLURALITY OF SECOND ELECTRICAL CONTROL DEVICES SUPPORTED ON SAID SUPPORT, EACH OF SAID SECOND DEVICES COMPRISING AN INTEGRAL NUMBER OF SINGLE POLE UNITS ECH HAVIG A WIDTH SUBSTANTIALLY DOUBLE SAID PREDETERMINED DISTANCE AND EACH OF SAID SINGLE POLE UNITS INCLUDIONG AN ELECTRIC CONTACT IN PLUG-IN ELECTRICAL ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE OF SAID STATIONARY CONTACTS AND EACH OF SAID SINGLE-POLE UNITS ALSO INCLUDING CLEARANCE MEANS PROVIDING CLEARANCE FOR ANOTHER OF SAID ELECTRICAL CONTACTS; (G) WHEREBY SAID PANEL ASSEMBLY MAY COMPRISE SELECTIVELY ANY DESIRED COMBINATION OF SINGLE-POLE, TWOPOLE, AND THREE-POLE ELECTRICAL CONTROL DEVICES OF THE FIRST AND SECOND TYPE. 